How long does an EHCP take in Sheffield?
By law, the whole EHC plan (Education, Health and Care plan) process must take no more than 20 weeks from the day the council gets your request. Sheffield City Council must tell you within 6 weeks whether it will assess your child. You should usually get a draft plan by week 16. In 2025, just over 1 in 4 Sheffield plans were finished within 20 weeks.
The EHCP timeline in Sheffield, week by week
The weeks count from the day Sheffield City Council receives your request for an EHC needs assessment (the council looking into what help your child needs).
| When | What should happen |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | The council receives your request. The clock starts. |
| By week 6 | The council writes to tell you whether it will assess your child. In Sheffield, the EHC Panel meets weekly to decide. |
| Weeks 6 to 12 | The council asks school, health and care professionals for reports. They have 6 weeks to send them. |
| By week 16 | The council decides whether to write a plan. Most families get a draft plan around now. |
| 15 days after the draft | You comment on the draft plan and say which school you want. The council can't finish the plan before then. |
| By week 20 | The council sends the final EHC plan. |
When does the 20-week EHCP clock start?
The 20 weeks start on the day Sheffield City Council receives your request for an EHC needs assessment. They don't start when the council agrees to assess, or when a report arrives. That's why it helps to send your request by email and keep a copy. If you haven't sent a request yet, read how to apply for an EHCP in Sheffield.
How is Sheffield City Council doing on EHCP deadlines?
Government figures show Sheffield is slower than most of England:
- In 2025, Sheffield finished 27.8% of new EHC plans (Education, Health and Care plans) within 20 weeks. That's 312 out of 1,124. Across England, it was 46.1%.
- In 2025, Sheffield decided 72.7% of assessment requests within 6 weeks. Across England, it was 87.4%.
A late council doesn't change your child's rights. The deadlines are still the law. If the council misses one, you can chase it in writing. Read what to do when Sheffield City Council is late with an EHCP.
Can Sheffield City Council take longer than 20 weeks for an EHCP?
Only in a few narrow cases set out in the law. For example, when the council asked the school for a report just before the summer holiday, or when your family was away from Sheffield for 4 weeks or more. Not having enough staff, such as educational psychologists, is not a lawful reason. If the council says an exception applies, it should tell you which one. See the exceptions in plain English.
Is week 14 or week 16 the deadline for the draft EHC plan?
You may read different answers online. The law sets three main limits: 6 weeks for the decision to assess, 16 weeks for the decision on whether to write a plan, and 20 weeks for the final plan. You must get at least 15 days to comment on the draft plan, and the final plan is due by week 20. So for the council to be on time, the draft has to reach you by about week 17. Most councils aim for earlier.
Work out your own EHCP deadlines
Every family's dates are different. EHC Plan Helper's deadline calculator works out each date from the day you sent your request, counts bank holidays correctly, and tells you clearly if Sheffield City Council is late. For other Sheffield help, see EHCP help in Sheffield: who does what.
What to do next
- Haven't asked for an assessment yet? Read how to apply in Sheffield, then let EHC Plan Helper write your request.
- Already asked? Add the date you sent it and see every deadline, worked out for you.
It's free, with no account. What you type stays on your own phone or computer.
What the law says
SEND Regulations 2014, regulation 5(1): the 6-week decision
The council "must notify the child's parent or the young person as soon as practicable and in any event within 6 weeks of— (a) receiving a request for an assessment ... of its decision whether or not it is necessary to secure an EHC needs assessment".
Read regulation 5 on legislation.gov.uk
SEND Regulations 2014, regulation 10(1): the 16-week decision
Notice of a decision not to issue a plan "must be given as soon as practicable, and in any event within 16 weeks of the local authority receiving a request for an EHC needs assessment".
Read regulation 10 on legislation.gov.uk
SEND Regulations 2014, regulation 13: the draft and the 20-week final plan
Parents must get "at least 15 days, beginning with the day on which the draft plan was served" to comment, and the final plan must be issued "as soon as practicable, and in any event within 20 weeks of the local authority receiving a request for an EHC needs assessment".
Last checked: October 2026. Sheffield figures are from the Department for Education's EHC plan statistics for 2026 (calendar year 2025, not counting exceptions). This is information, not legal advice. Who makes EHC Plan Helper.